The current economic environment remains gloomy in western markets and Eurozone countries are having a particularly turbulent ride. Fortunes will be mixed for the beverage industry in the coming years, but emerging markets continue to hold great potential.

What are the key drivers behind recent market changes?

The key driving force behind commercial beverages remains Asia, with China and India leading the way. The growing consumer base and rising disposable incomes levels is fuelling growth in these markets. Health awareness, particularly regarding sugar content in beverages and price- sensitivity are important global trends.

What makes this report unique and essential to read?

The report facilitates valuable data comparisons, enabling the user to monitor the development of commercial beverages over time by category and determine share of throat. It is an essential aid for anyone interested in the beverage industry.

Global economic uncertainty will still stifle growth in many markets and act to dissuade investment in riskier, usually more innovative products. This means that even after a recovery has been established there could still be some 'lag' between growth in economies and growth in the soft drinks market, especially for the younger demographics that are attracted to innovative products.

The Beer segment is seeing declines in many important markets and muted uptake in markets that could have been important for future growth, for example the younger generation in Japan are showing a lack of interest in the category.

Continued political turmoil and change in the certain region, such Egypt's second coup in five years or the renewed threat of a coup in Thailand for example, creates an atmosphere that can make producers, especially international players, slightly more hesitant to invest.

Health scares have and will negatively impact the sales of certain drinks, for example the proposed or enacted sugar taxes in various European nations and the scare in Kuwait caused when a teenager died after drinking energy drinks, a category that already struggles with image.

Certain governments that are struggling to recover from the economic crises may begin to use quotas and bans to protect national industries at the cost of importing countries, for example the Ukraine and Russia have been weighing the idea of limiting Belarusian milk products.

Key Highlights

Coffee products are fairly mature however there has been promising signs of growth by utilising new distribution channels such as coffee lounges and premix vending machines.

Health awareness and concerns have impacted the consumption patterns in a number of key markets in recent years for example sports drinks in Vietnam grew by 35%.

Packaged and Bulk water products and services are seeing an increase in regions such as Eastern Europe due to the lower quality of tap water.

Providing milk to school children has become popular and can drive volume growth, such as in Turkey were a programme helped the White Milk grow by 2% in 2013.

Certain markets, especially in Asia and Africa, have seen a notable increase in demand for carbonates; for example in Nigeria demand can outstrip the local ability to produce.